Day Off
by teno-hikari
Summary: Last of the 'Two Daddies' story Arc. Muraki's POV when he spends the day with his daughter.


Day Off  
  
By: Teno Hikari  
email: tenohikari@cs.com  
  
* Disclaimers: I'm really not worth suing  
  
* Summary: Last of the 'Two Daddies' story Arc. Muraki's POV when he spends the day with his daughter.  
  
* Warning: yaoi (m/m) pairing between Tsuzuki and Muraki   
  
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Sunlight pierces through the darkness of the master bedroom and I find myself awakening to a new day. I yawn, blinking back the faint cobwebs of dreams and turn to see my lover who cuddles sleepily against me. My Asato ... is so cute when he's asleep, I can't help but brush my lips against his skin. He stirs and smiles at my touch when I plant soft kisses on his exposed throat and soon those violet eyes open to meet mine.   
  
"Good morning," I smile at him, teasing the drawstring of his sweat pants. He mumbles something about being to early and quickly draws the blankets over him. I sigh, oh well ... there was always tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after. Even though it's my day off I still feel the need to get up and start it right away.   
  
Asato still hasn't moved after I've showered and dressed and I'm thankful our daughter hasn't inherited his procrastinating traits. When I entered the kitchen I had dismissed the cook for the day and begin to make breakfast for my family. Halfway finished cooking, Ruka walks in, dressed in one of her cute outfits, and sits herself down on one of the counter bar stools.   
  
"Good morning, dad," my daughter smiles at me, she has Asato's smile.   
  
"Good morning, Ruka," I kiss her on the forehead before turning back to my cooking.   
  
"Daddy still sleeping?" she inquires while getting up to set the table without being asked to.   
  
"Of course," I answer turning off the stove. "But I left the door open so the smell should bring him down any moment now."  
  
"Ah, good thinking!" she nods and pours herself a glass of milk. "You're off today, right?"   
  
"Yes, today I'm all yours," and we smile at each other again. Sometimes it's hard to believe that this angel was begotten from a murderer like me. I frown before pouring myself a cup of coffee, that was in the past ... and it's best to leave it there. Several minutes later Asato stumbles groggily into the kitchen, still wearing pajamas with his dark hair in a messy array.   
  
"Morning, daddy!" Ruka beams happily at him.  
  
My love takes a look at both our smiling faces and shakes his head in disgust before sitting down at the table. "I hate you alive morning people."  
  
"I read in a book that says that too much sleep is for the dead," Ruka tells him while pouring maple syrup on her pancakes.   
  
"Exactly," he mumbles before adding six spoons of sugar into his coffee. He then tosses it back, adds more sugar, and repeats the process until he doesn't look so much like a zombie anymore. The happy smile that I love appears as he begins to eat his chocolate-chip pancakes.   
  
The three of us are talking and laughing before Asato realizes he's about to be late and runs to shower and change for work. As we listen to him stumble around upstairs, Ruka and I are cleaning up. No matter how many times this happens, it still amuses me. Drying her hands on a kitchen towel, Ruka giggles at the sound of her daddy cursing about Tatsumi having his head.  
  
"He's going to be late again," she observes, setting a plate of pancakes down on the ground for Byakko. The Shikigami and household pet eats up quickly then waits patiently for his master by the door. "Uncle Tatsumi is going to be very angry with him."  
  
"That's most likely," I smirk and drink the rest of my coffee.   
  
"I hope he doesn't get to mad at daddy," Ruka then looks at me with concerned purple eyes. "You don't think they'll fire him, do you?"   
  
The thought makes me frown again. Ruka was old enough to know what would happen if her daddy lost his job ... it meant he would no longer be able to stay with us. I give her a reassuring smile and shake my head as Asato rushes back in the kitchen fully dressed.  
  
"I'll see you later, Ru-chan," he smiles and kisses her on the cheek before giving me a parting kiss good-bye on the lips.   
  
"Call if you're going to be late," I tell him. Cupping his chin I give him another kiss, "We'll eat out tonight."  
  
"Mmm...," he nods and returns my kisses until Byakko has his master by the coat and is yanking him to the door. "See ya!"  
  
"Well, Ruka," I say as the door slams shut. "It's just the two of us. What do you want to do?"   
  
Her puppy ears pop into view and the tail wags excitedly much like her daddy. "The mall!" she says excitedly. "Can we go to mall, dad? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"  
  
With a cherry on top? Now how can I say no to that? Asato is right, I'm going to spoil her rotten. I simply nod and she bounces up happily then rushes to her room to grab her allowance and we're off. Halfway to our destination, I can feel a headache coming on as we're stuck in a traffic jam. Any six year old child would be crying and complaining by now; but Ruka remained sitting calmly in the passenger seat, while singing along to the radio.   
  
"I woke and chid my fingers,  
The Gem was gone in my hands  
And now,   
an Amethyst of remembrance  
is all I own ..."  
  
I smile and reach to stroke through her silver hair. Perfect even though we had not meant for her to be. Asato had insisted on having a child and not a doll that was flawless to mistakes. I had been doubtful at first, knowing how children tend to get annoying and out of control. But even though he and I had no experience raising a child, I believe we did a decent job with our daughter. She had her 'flaws' like being afraid of heights, big hairy spiders, and was a little quick to anger; but, even with them she was flawless in my eyes.  
  
When we *finally* arrived at the shopping center, her much smaller hand slips in mine, and I smile and ask where she wants to go. Tapping her chin thoughtfully she spots her favorite toy store and drags me into it so she can buy new clothes for Veronica. Naturally, Ruka had picked up my doll collecting hobby at a young age. It wasn't easy but on her fifth birthday, I had given her my most cherished doll ... Veronica ... and I do not regret it since Ruka took perfect care of her. Besides, Veronica wasn't as precious as my own living doll who had my silver hair and my love's violet eyes. She was going to be a very attractive woman someday and I know my homicidal streak will resurface when boys start coming to the door for dates.  
  
"Dad?"  
  
"Yes, dear?"   
  
"You're brooding," she says. "What are you upset about?"  
  
"You're growing up," I tell her. "Soon young men will by flocking by your side and I don't think I'll be quite happy with it."   
  
Her laughter sounds like little bells as she leans against me still smiling. "Dad you're being silly. I still have years and years of growing ... besides ... what if I really don't like boys?"   
  
I blink and this conversation is starting to become uncomfortable. "Ruka, are you saying you like girls?"   
  
"No," she shook her head. "Well, I don't know yet ... I don't think so, but if I did, would you be mad?"   
  
I sigh and push my glasses back up the bridge of my nose. "If I was, that would make me a hypocrite, wouldn't it?"  
  
"Mmmm," she nods.  
  
For lunch we settle down in an out door cafe and while Ruka is looking through her menu, I find myself missing Asato. Normally, all three of are together and right now they would be discussing which ice cream flavor was the best. As we wait for our orders, someone calls out my name ... my first name, not 'Muraki-sensei' and I tense. Turning, I catch myself from gaping in surprise.   
  
"Kazutaka!" my former fiancee smiles at me as she stands before our table. "What a pleasant surprise!"   
  
"Ukyou," I smile. "How have you been?"   
  
"Married," she says, holding up her hand to show off her wedding ring. "And you?"  
  
"The same," I say and hold up mine.   
  
"I knew it," she giggled and then turned to Ruka who was watching us curiously. "And who are you?"  
  
"Muraki Ruka," my daughter bows her head politely. "Please to meet you."  
  
"She's so cute!" Ukyou is gaping at her and Ruka blushes and averts her eyes. "She looks so much like you, Kazutaka. Very pretty eyes..."  
  
"I got them from my daddy," Ruka beams.   
  
My childhood friend blinks then looks at me and then to Ruka. She gives me a confused look and I simply smile. I wonder if she would believe me if I told her Asato was my first test subject for male pregnancy. Well, I suppose that would be more believable than magic spells.   
  
A young boy Ruka's age suddenly breaks the tension and clings to Ukyou's arm. "Mommy," he says looking up at her. "Can I have change for the gum ball machine?"   
  
"Later, Ryu," she smiles at him and the gestures to me. "This is my good friend Muraki Kazutaka and his daughter Ruka, please say hello."   
  
The boy nods and bows politely, "My name is Hisora Ryu, please to meet you both." He then lifts his head and smiles at Ruka who blushes. I stiffen, so it starts ... urge to kill ... rising. Ukyou and Ryu leave us to our lunch and I'm happy to see them go. Already boys were looking at her *that* way and she was only six! How worse would be when she turns sixteen? Images of Ruka as an adult in a wedding dress make me want to cry.   
  
"You're doing the brooding thing again, dad," my daughter, in her child form, points at me. "If you don't stop, I'll tell daddy."  
  
Thoughts of Asato laughing his head off at my over protectiveness came to mind, and I shake my head. "All right," I tell her and continue to eat. "I'll stop brooding if you promise me one thing."  
  
"Yes?" she looks curiously over to her dessert menu.   
  
"Promise me you'll stop growing up this minute."  
  
"Dad!"   
  
  
We return home in the afternoon after going to the grocery store to buy the ingredients I was going to make for dinner that night. With my small family, I started enjoying to eating at home where we could relax and have our privacy. No noise, no distractions, just the three of us. When the sky darkens and the sun begins to set, I smile when I hear Asato announce that he was home. Byakko immediately finds his companion, licks her face then heads to her bedroom for a nap. Cats ....   
  
"I thought we were going out tonight," Asato looks confused to see both Ruka and I in aprons.   
  
"Oh, we are!" Ruka smiled. She then pounced her daddy and began to dangle at his waist. "Dad was brooding a couple times today."  
  
"Traitor," I hiss and give her a hurt look. She giggles as her daddy gently pulls her off him and on to his shoulders.  
  
Asato lifts an eyebrow to question me, "What happened?"   
  
"Later," I tell him, wrapping his hand around his waist. I guide them outside on the patio where dinner awaited. "We'll talk about it later ..."  
  
For, it wouldn't be long before I would start to grow old ... Wouldn't be long before my visions of Ruka as a grown woman in a wedding dress became a reality ... Wouldn't be long before all this would end ...   
But just for one day, I didn't want to talk about it.   
  
"Dad, you're off again tomorrow, aren't you?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you too, daddy?"  
  
"Yup!"   
  
"Yay!"  
  
Tomorrow I wasn't going to brood. Days off like these, should be spent creating beautiful memories for the three of us. No worrying about what the future would bring. Just simply living in the moment.  
  
  
* owari *  
  
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[ Author's Note ]  
  
Geh ... sappy ending ... I hope you liked the last part ... ::sends subliminal messages throughout the story: 'You will review ... you will review ... you will review ...':: ^_^;;; 


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